Alt folkie Kalle Mattson is coming round with a new album, Youth .a coming-of-age record about innocence lost, promises denied, and the purgatory of one’s mid-20s. When Mattson began writing the album, his motto was “folk is dead”, but he still demoed all the songs, “just me and an acoustic guitar in my bedroom...unique, I know,” he says. While the songs may begin on the ol’ six-string, the final tracks on Youth. see Mattson shifting the focus to keyboards and drum machines with help from producer Colin Munroe (Drake, Sky Ferreira).

Folk music is about storytelling, which is something Mattson knows well enough. “People latched on to mylast album because there was a story,” he says. “Writing in a box was exciting and interesting to me: here’s a theme, so how far can you go with it, and how can you make it seem like a cohesive piece?” For Youth., he set out to write about his time growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a small border town between Great Lakes Superior and Huron. He credits “the Soo” with giving him ambition—to get the heck out of there.

Banovich is an interesting guy, a guitar picker and songwriter with his feet firmly planted in both blues and Americana music traditions, a wealthy combination that often produces genuine pearls when least expected.

Following on from his 2016 release ‘Acoustic Roots and Blues,’ Banovich here serves up a cracking dish of modern classics peppered with his own writing in the genre, while always pushed along by his punchy and often fiery fretwork. Tracks range from classic standards like ‘Walkin’ the Dog’ and ‘Walking Blues’ to the folk-roots classic, ‘Black is the Color’ and the seldom heard ‘Blues Run the Game’ originally from the mostly long-forgotten and overlooked sixties US writer-picker, Jackson C Frank.

As a result, Banovich, a Scot who was partly raised in the blues hotbed of Chicago, brings a refreshingly delightful and innovative take to the blues music table with ‘Hot Cookin’ Mama,’ a twelve-track release that rocks and ripples with sensitivity, hooks and hotspots throughout. This is an acoustic-driven album to savor, a rare thing these days, and a thing of great beauty. Buy it while you can.

Today, Platinum-selling Sony Music Entertainment Canada recording artist Gord Bamford, announced he is returning to his performing roots to celebrate the release of his latest single "Dive Bar", with the Honkytonks & Dive Bar Tour. Beginning in Calgary, AB on October 17 the tour will hit 29 Canadian cities from coast to coast, giving fans the chance to see one of Canada’s biggest Country music superstars in an intimate setting, at their favourite local bars and honkytonks.

"’Honkytonks and dive bars are where I cut my teeth in this business and fell in love with country music and performing. It’s where I feel right at home,” said Gord Bamford. “I'm looking forward to getting back to my roots where it all began. Make sure to grab your tickets fast cause it's gonna be a party!”

Bamford's current single, “Dive Bar”, from his latest album Neon Smoke, written by Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Tebey (Justin Moore, Big and Rich, Emerson Drive) is racing up the radio charts and into the Top 10. The album has also seen the release of the singles “Livin’ On Summertime”, “Ain’t It Grand” – a collaboration with Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, and the Top 10 Canadian country radio hit “Neon Smoke”.

Bamford is one of the most awarded artists in Canadian country music history.

Veteran blues-soul man William Bell smiles when I suggest he’s been working the music business for half a century, before correcting me with a laugh: “Sixty years now, in fact,” he says. Bell was one of the earliest Stax musicians, signed to the label back in 1961 primarily as a songwriter, he always had the ambition to make his mark as both writer and performer. An ambition he readily achieved and three-score years later, he continues to deliver top-notch material with scarcely a trace of effort.Currently working on a new album, Bell is studio-bound though he still loves life out on the road: “I never tire of the travel, meeting the fans, working hard,” he confirms. “Right now I’m working on a bunch of new songs, some for other artists, and some for a new release I’m working with.”

When Bell talks about writing for others, it’s near-impossible to overestimate his past power, a force that remains vital and dynamic. With credits that include co-authoring the massive blues standard, ‘Born Under A Bad Sign,’ and ‘Private Number,’ – recorded with Judy Clay in 1968 – this is a guy to take note of. He is particularly pleased to add: “When Carole King, a wonderful writer, records one of your songs, ‘Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday,’ you know you’re doing something right.”

It has been a whirlwind year for Ottawa’s Tribe Royal, the new band with a vintage sound.

Teaming up in early January with Toronto’s marketing and strategy company, EMG, was the beginning of what was to be several life-changing events. In February, Tribe Royal played to a full house at Babylon nightclub, a well-known music haunt, more than six months removed from their headline show in their hometown. In June of this year, they returned to the scene with an opening show with Australian reggae-rockers Ocean Alley at The 27 Club thanks to SpectraSonic.

A few months into the year, discussions started with the exciting news that the legendary producer Norbert Putnam (Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury and Jimmy Buffett to name a few) was interested in doing a two-song production in Muscle Shoals at the famous NuttHouse Recording Studio.

Putnam likes to do two songs with an artist to see if they are a good fit with each other and as it turns it, the fit was perfect! So perfect that Norbert Putnam has decided to come to Canada to record more tunes with the lads in a Toronto studio. This will be the first music production Putnam has done on Canadian soil and Tribe Royal is pumped.